The Anarcho Geek Info Center

A few years ago I read a statistic that said that genealogy was the second largest hobby in the United States - second only to gardening. It was no surprise to me as I have been finding and documenting my family tree for almost 30 years. Over that time a lot of people have asked me, “Why genealogy? What do you get out of it?” There are a lot of reasons to find out about your family and I’ll cover just a few hoping that one of them will get you started.

Curiosity: A lot of people are just plain curious about where they came from, what their ancestors did, how they got here - to this time and this place. Lots of people find themselves in this category when they are told that they are adopted. While they have adoptive parents, traditions, and history, they also have another history that calls out to them. Other people have lost touch and are curious about where people are, how they turned out, who they married.

It’s a Great Puzzle: This applies to me in several areas of my life besides genealogy. I have worked with numbers a lot - particularly with market research. I just love understanding what motivates people to buy certain products, where they shop, how much they want to pay, and where they want to hear about those products.
When my wife and I go camping I spend hours working crypto quotes in the sun - fun and challenging puzzles that help me relax.

When it comes to puzzles, I don’t think anything can match the complexity and fun of genealogy. Just think about a jigsaw puzzle that has an almost infinite number of pieces - some of them that don’t fit and some of them missing. Nothing can match the satisfaction I get from finding one of those lost pieces of the puzzle and putting it into place. These are puzzle pieces that lead to long-lost cousins and far-off places.

Hobby: I did a lot of market research before organizing FamilyTrackers, Inc. The company was started out of my belief that Internet searches could be much more accurate than those usually conducted on the Internet. Interestingly, there is a group of genealogists who resist a more accurate way to find information. They are not interested in any tools that make the job faster. “That is the reason I do my family tree - to fill up my time. Looking into page after page of results is the part I like about genealogy. It’s my hobby,” they said. Fortunately for me and for FamilyTrackers those who like the things I find most tedious are not a large portion of the market.

Leave a Legacy: Some people approach middle age or have a traumatic event at any age that prompts them to think about their mortality. “If I never meet my grandchildren, what will they know about me? What will they know about my parents? How will we be remembered?” Those of us who are fortunate enough to have ancestors in this category are indeed lucky. My grandmother wrote a short story about her trip as a young girl in a covered wagon from Illinois to Kansas. Thinking about it now, it must have been a dusty, hot, and miserable trip. The events that she wrote about were ordinary, daily occurrences that were taken for granted in her time - something that she wrote about because the trip was out of the ordinary. Read the same story today and discover something that is unique to our experience - herding cattle, rustlers, camping out every night. If you do nothing else with your family history, you should write down or record your life experiences in your own words in any way that you see fit.

Emotional Satisfaction: This is a huge reason for being involved in genealogy and one that I hear repeated by other people as they talk excitedly about their latest discovery. There are moments that happen during a search that are touching and immensely satisfying. This is the moment that you look at your great grandfather’s signature on your grandparent’s marriage license; put your hand on the baptismal font where your oldest known ancestor was baptized; stand on the ground where your great grandfather from the old country is buried - knowing that your grandmother stood on this spot in front of an open grave grieving her loss. These moments are thrilling, goose-bump producing moments of a life time when you can almost reach across time and touch a person who you finally understand and know. This is a moment you must not miss!

Give Something Back: Lots of people get involved when they volunteer at their local genealogical or historical society. What a wonderful place to meet nice people who are willing to help you discover your roots. These groups are responsible for saving crumbling records all over the world and for making the information available to everybody. People who work in these places are almost always unpaid and give their time and effort on behalf of people like you and me every single day - people they have never even met. This is important work and you can get the satisfaction of helping other people by volunteering yourself. It is easy. Pick up the phone and call.

Whatever your reasons, give genealogy a try. It is a stimulating hobby that will put you in touch with yourself and with a lot of nice people who are ready and willing to help.

Gene Hall is a genealogist with almost 30 years of experience and the CEO of FamilyTrackers, Inc., a world-wide genealogy exchange dedicated to serving the needs of genealogists, genealogical societies, professional genealogists, and transcribers all over the world.

FamilyTrackers is located at http://www.familytrackers.com/

This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute it as you like. All that I ask is that you reprint it in its entirety without any changes including this text and the link above.

Skype have finally launched the must discussed application which is now available for download through iTunes, iStore for both iPhone and iPod Touch users. The Skype CEO, Durchslag told us that this was the number feature requested by Skype users. Well the long wait is now officially over as Apply have today release it to the iStore.

The convergence of these technologies and the new application will allow 400 million iPhone and Skype users to communicate via IM and Voice over 3G networks. This could eventually lead to lower mobile call prices or data only contracts, lowering the price of contracts even further by taking advantage of voice over IP services.

That said Skype enabled clients have been available on the iPhone for sometime, through third party software. This is the first Skype made and powered application which is also free to download right now. I look forward to seeing Skype now go forward and create software for other phones such as the Nokia N95 and T-Mobile G1.

Skype is the first company to introduce its own Instant Messaging client and really gives them the edge over MSN/Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger services. Unless Yahoo and Microsoft begin to embrace these new technologies they truly risk being left behind.

In my poetry I shall tell of the trials, woes, and joys
To time yet unborn…;
Of sleep and death that lie ahead…and of strange music
As He beckons the world to his command,

In the haunting gloom of twilight.

Somewhere I lost my passing grace, and there you stood
Thou deadliest face…;
For a time: to tell the hearts unrest: in mercies unconfused
As He beckons the world to his command,
In the haunting gloom of twilight.

To whom the unceasing fires belong (an inviolable heart)
Numbered is thy consequence…;
A hymn, He hums: trembles the eveningof frozen flesh
As he beckons the world to his command,
In the haunting gloom of twilight.

Silent I turn from time, that holds dominion over all
As Orion’s sword passes by…;
Gives way to the Devils hostile Firmament: warfare
As He beckons the world to his command,
In the haunting gloom of twilight.

Unarmed, He and I stand (like mindless clay) in the sun
Awaiting the darkness…;
A sacrificial past for him, over Orion’s distinct sword
As He beckons the world to his command,
In the haunting gloom of twilight.

Note: 908 (11-1-2005); “…written in Lima, Peru, in my library, in the quiet darkness of the night…” The Author

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

All businesses should volunteer to help out in the community especially to help youth organizations. But what happens when you help a youth organization like the Boy Scouts and find that it is not politically correct? What happens when the Gay and Lesbian Community or a fringe within their community threatens to boycott your company?

The episode described above happened to my company and it has long past. Believe me I can hold my own, no worries, really good at what I do and very strategic in marketing, but it is troubling to be put in that situation. I was asked once when I mentioned this was: “What is the Gay Fringe is doing to you!”

Well they made it sound like I am afraid, worried or some such non-sense, no way. A little pissed off indeed back then, but hardly worried about my company or our Brand Name in the market place, our customers love us, I know it and I am sure those who threatened figured that out quickly enough. They probably looked foolish in spreading negative comments. In fact this is the feedback I was getting in the market place it happened.

Well the threat to boycott my company came after I refused to stop helping a Boy Scout Group in a community fundraiser. But it did not stop there the BS [which I should not have to use abbreviations] went on for weeks on end. After explaining this I was then asked; “Are these networks of homosexuals involved in the boycotts or in harming your business in other ways?” Yes, indeed they did or tried and it involved abuse of power, actually caused me to lose complete faith in government at all levels, but it was a good lesson, so actually a blessing. You must help the community, but beware, as there are often risks. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Propertycasting is the commercial application of podcasting for the real estate industry. Propertycasting involves the distribution and publishing of audio and video feeds, that offer real estate information delivered over the Internet, for on demand listening.

This is a new step in the evolution of on-demand real-esate information delivery, making it accessible, informative, useful and appealing. This mix presents the real estate industry with a very unique opportunity to reach its target audiences through this new medium. Those individuals, who are already seeking real estate information actively, will use RSS subscription technology built into each podcast feed, to receive information immediately as it is updated by the real estate firm. With one click of a button, a user can subscribe to a feed that may be interesting, and any related information that is ever updated to that feed will be automatically processed to their personal aggregator. An aggregator is able to subscribe to a feed, check for new content at user-determined intervals, and retrieve the content.

To take this process one step further, podcasting publishes each feed with the capability to be transferred to any portable audio or video device. So with the growth of the ipod and all the other portable media devices, you have the ability to grab propertycasts and place them on your portable player for listening or viewing. Most users attach their portable players to their computers daily or weekly, and once the player is attached they automatically receive the new propertycast updates.

Here is a sample of a propertycast:
http://whatiwantpodcasting.com/pods/video/PropertyCast_Large_Windows.wmv

The flexibility of this medium is what will drive the growth of propertycasting tremendously over the next few years. Currently the most useful application for real estate organizations worldwide, is complimenting already existing real estate web pages with audio and video feeds. These propertycasts detail important notices and information that may be prudent, along with a quick marketing pitch from a broker. These can be used for seasonal marketing activities, special events, or monthly updates.

For years and years, associates and brokers have been sending out property listing updates. These propertycasts can be inserted into your existing listing pages. Most firms have numerous web pages which deliver real estate information in text and pic format. By providing an audio or video link on that page it gives the user a different and much more effective format for receiving the information. This is also a great way to teach your existing users how to start utilizing propertycasting services.

The popularity of portable on demand information will grow even greater as wireless internet services continue to flourish across the country. These portable devices will no longer have to be connected to the internet; they will receive information wirelessly as it is updated. In addition, as cell phones and portable devices continue to merge together, the market grows larger.

For firms that have thousands of employees or brokers, the distribution of company information is very important, and once again this offers each institution a method of on-demand delivery which is convenient to all.

There are numerous uses for propertycasting currently, and over the next few years it will explode in popularity. It is beneficial to institutions as well as the consumer, and it will be seen as a great tool in any real estate organizations’ operations.

Ryan Hoback is CEO of What I Want Podcasting.

They specialize in developing podcasts & nanocasts for a wide range of industries. Their development team guides each client through the process of creating podcasts that incorporate brand integration and deliver the target message through a positive visual & listening experience.

http://www.WhatIWantPodcasting.com

info@WhatIWantPodcasting.com

On the assumption that you haven’t a clue concerning betting house card playing, do read on… To clarify terms, a betting hall is a building that presents friendly gambling. Guests will hopefully game by having a bash at slot machines or alternative betting games. Gaming room games in the main include methodically determined percentages built in that ensure the management possesses the upper hand above the betting aficionados.

Countless betting hall games can sway you into getting far too infatuated quickly. By way of illustration take the classic slot machine, a coin operated machine with three plus cogs that orbit if a bar coupled to it is started. The instrument customarily settles in accordance with a succession of images presented on the information screen of the appliance. Regrettably, betting hall pastimes will convey a hallucination of jurisdiction, thus conning the gaming fan — the addressee is given over options, but in reality these won’t ever truly level the gamer’s handicap. This is due to the gaming hall not paying up the full stake as expected. This structure is generally found in popular casino games like seven-card stud, craps, roulette or blackjack.

Seven card stud poker is undoubtedly an immensely trendy casino game. The gamers, playing with fully screened cards, bet in a central pot that is finally given to the prevailing player owning the leading set of cards. (Obviously, the shameless bluffing hand may well prevail as well…) Analogous to Texas hold’em poker, blackjack too is an incredibly popular casino pastime. Much of its fame is caused by its particular mix of luck and skilfulness and choice making, as well as a practise dubbed “counting”. This is an approach in which gambling devotees will significantly reverse the chances of the game in their interest by both wagering & systematic decisions according to the hands dealt.

Craps is another acclaimed pastime where players place bets on the throw of a couple of dice. Gamesters will place stakes on the outcome of of one roll, or on a succession of cycles of 2 dice. Dissimilar to blackjack, there just isn’t any practicable long term winning strategy people can cash in on to improve the odds. Roulette is a notable casino based game of chance: a croupier twists a roulette wheel which holds thirtyseven (classical roulette) or, alternatively thirty eight (American roulette) distinctively tagged chambers in which the tossed ball must come to rest, which marks the winner as well as the attached combinations. Then, if a participant happens to set their stake on a single number and wins so they’ve got a lucky hand, the set repayment is 35 to one, the bet itself being paid out. Thus it’s increased by thirty-six.

Do make a point of being emphatically on guard under all circumstances for all of these gaming room betting games are very obsessive. Many lives have been spoilt due to gambling and despite the fact that it feels enjoyable, please do venture to restrain yourself.

casino poker

Title: Moods in Motion

Entertaining Read …….. Recommended 5 stars

The Review

The stanzas open with a lyrical work: You in You: I see you in everything But what I love the most Is to see you in you. The reader experiences the bitter sorrow of Poisoned Pen, the binary love of Saviors Arms as well as the embracing warmth of the sun in Beach Thoughts. We feel the poignant longing of the Blind Poet : He imagines rainbows within his shadows And senses gods presence upon his shoulders. the End of the Line leads the reader to the portal at the end of the rainbow. We Ponder the wonder of life as we read Born for a Reason. Sometimes it is better just to start Entirely over, Entirely Over and other times We are searching for a shadow Inside a galaxy of stars. Finally we close our reading sitting for hours in the Ghost Garden.

On the pages of Moods in Motion Lyrist Forese has created a tantalizing publication of 50 of some of his finest elegies. Verses extending across seventy pages entice the reader with a diversity of deeply felt sonnets penned about a far-reaching melange of the authors favorite subjects. Lyrist Forese’s passion for life flows from the page to the reader as these poems are enjoyed. Stanzas filled with warmth, perspicacity and contemplation are included in this picturesque arrangement. Readers, regardless of whether they are admirers of poetry or not, are sure to take pleasure from Moods in Motion. Lovers of poetry will unquestionably be exhilarated as they find themselves stopping often to relish a statement or a passage before going on to the next appealing tidbit.

Poet Forese has an extraordinary aptitude for taking the everyday issues of life and turning them into an irresistible work. There is something for everyone in Moods in Motion. Accomplished, piercing, words to enrapture, and thrill are offered as Poet Forese draws upon the adventures of life to give rise to an opus of lovely work. Romance, life lessons, enlightenment all are communicated to the heart of the reader in most good-natured and calculable manner. Readers will be sure to be transformed in a very tangible way while reading the words offered by this perceptive, straightforward poet.

Moods in Motion is meant to be read and then taken out often for a re reading as craving and fancy strikes. Bard Forese demonstrates his idyllic genius in this exquisite little work. Each refrain only gets better.

It is the belief of this reviewer that Moods in Motion should do well in specialty/gift type shops as an offering when a unique gift for a particular person is essential. The work will lend itself well to the homeschool library for middle grade to high school age readers as they begin to explore the world of poetry for themselves. With the writer’s permission I plan to lift a poem or two for use in my fourth grade classroom as we begin to write some poetry for ourselves.

Lovely book for a long winter afternoon or a quick poem or two while waiting for the light to change during a busy day.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.

Genre: Poetry

Author: Robert Jude Forese

Line/Publisher PUBLISHAMERICA, LLLP

ISBN: 1-4137-8226-4

Writer, Teacher, Reviewer, Parent, Boy Scout adult scouter

This blog is from our recent trip to Waikiki. Ive got to say, if you ever have the opportunity to make it to Hawaii, you should absolutely take the offer. It has to be one of the most gorgeous places in the United States. It is so amazing to have such a fantastic location in our country.

The hospitality there is dramatic. We took a surfing lesson, rode a canoe, watched a few hula shows and even had a chance to try out some real Hawaiian food at a luau. They say ono out there, it means delicious. The Kalua Pig is to die for and be sure to stop by for a lava flow cocktail at Dukes. Its a little spot on Waikiki beach, great for an evening drink. One of the most unforgettable aspects was when we treated ourselves to a massage in Honolulu. It was impressive, super relaxing and well deserved after a hard years work.

Honolulu is extraordinary. Don’t concentrate that you won’t do it all, because you can’t. Figure out what is most important to you and focus on that. Take time to relax and enjoy just being there. Needless to say, we will be going back as soon as possible.

I have two buddies that hunt, Jeremy and Jeff. They get up at the crack of dawn and trek out into the Arizona desert to shoot some animals. I am not a hunter and have a better chance of bring struck by lightning twice than shooting a deer, so I am not invited. Maybe it’s best that way, I kind of side with the deer anyway - hunting just isn’t my thing.

Well this article isn’t about hunting, but I’ve seen the gear they have and preparation these guys go through in order to go after their target. To my surprise I started to see some very strong similarities between how they hunt animals and how I “hunt” prospects for clients when designing their projects. Stay with me, I promise you’ll see…

Personally, I’m not a hunter, but they’ve got the right idea when it comes to attracting and honing in on a target. Instead of doing what they think will work, hunters try to get into the mindset of their target. They adapt their clothes, smell, behavior and thought process all to the targets they are going after. If they are going after deer, they try to think like a deer; a pheasant, think like a pheasant. Designers can learn a lot from hunters.

If a hunter knows little or nothing about his targets, he starves. If
a designer knows little or nothing about his targets, he wastes the client’s time
and money.

Think about it, if your designer knows everything about the groups you’re targeting: their age, their family life, income, likes/dislikes, voting preferences, where they shop, how they shop, etc., how much more focused and effective do you think your marketing message will be?

When you meet with a design firm about doing some work for you don’t be surprised
if they interview you, in fact you should demand it.

At the end of your meeting you should have a solid idea of what the designer can and will do for you. And they should be able to articulate (among other things):
Your business objectives for the project

The target markets you are looking to focus on
Your business’ core competencies
How your business compares to others in the industry
Finally, like the hunters we talked about, designers better know everything, I
mean everything about what makes your targets tick.

Do you want to get the most out of your marketing and design investment, make
sure the designer can say what I say to clients, “The only person who knows
your clients better than me is you“.

Here’s the deal, you as a business owner
have clients you have to reach, that’s what marketing and design does - it’s outreach.
If you hire someone who knows how to reach (or hunt) for these groups of people,
your business will grow, if you hire a designer that doesn’t understand marketing
or how to hunt for your customers…well, your business starves.

Does that make sense?

Thanks for taking out of your day to read this article; please contact
me at 480-391-0704, or email me at comments@candographics.com and let me know
how this helped you.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a gunny suit to try on.
Happy “hunting”

Jeremy runs the only business savvy graphic design firm who helps companies build more confidence and credibility into their business identities. “I help you take your business’ vision and shape it into a company identity that will make you look better, feel better and have more confidence about your business.”

Like the article?

Email Jeremy today at comments@candographics.com for your choice of a free insider’s bulletin:
“How to Choose the Right Marketing/Design Firm for You” or “Top Ten Questions Designers Don’t Want You to Ask Them”. You’ll also want to check out the “Can-Do Confidence Builder”. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your marketing/design investments and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Remember to include in your email your name, which Insider Bulletin you would like to receive and any additional feedback.

Learn more about Jeremy and how you can gain a competitive advantage with a better brand by visiting http://www.candographics.com.

“Interactive Podcasting” is a term that is yet be uttered by the podcast masses. However, in its infant stages it poses a direct threat to the special features market of DVD’s, and as it grows, it will certainly revolutionize the way we view television forever.

What is “Interactive Podcasting” you may be asking.

In an article I wrote a few months back I made this statement,

“Podcasting in my opinion is the genesis of Video Internet Technology. That is, the merging of what we know as the “internet” and current broadcast, cable or satellite programming. It has long been discussed that the internet and television would one day be one in the same. But there has not been much talk into how this transition, into a new future of “Informative Entertainment” or “Intelligent Programming” will develop.

Video podcasting has opened the floodgates for internet television to directly compete with traditional broadcast television. Over the next few years, companies like Microsoft and others who have already introduced home T.V. set-top boxes, which will stream internet feeds directly to televisions in your home. This is the birth of home internet television in its purest form.

Everyone owns a DVD or two, right? If not, you have at least watched one, I hope. Now, when you put a DVD into the machine and turn it on, it takes you to a menu screen. This menu screen gives you options to choose from, such as scenes, extras, director’s cut and so on. These extras are huge draws for DVD sales, like Shrek, Star Wars, etc. The reason they are a big success, is because they put the power of choice in the hand of the user. Whatever your choice may be, the DVD will follow, and execute.

So what if podcasting had the ability to implement “user options”? What if you were watching a Video Podcast, and have the ability to choose different features of that podcast by simply placing your cursor over the screen and choosing your option. What if you had the ability to alter and control video, with the same user applicability that you can on a webpage or search engine.

Podcasting has just ventured into the video phase, where everyone from amateur producers to billion dollar media companies are scrambling to figure out how to make this medium useful, and of course, profitable. So as the medium evolves, the user will demand more from the industry, and a response will be absolutely necessary, in order to make digital media as viable and powerful as a DVD and VHS tapes once were.

The response society will need, is to make digital content as interactive as a physical product would be and then some.

Because what good is the new “Pirates of The Carribean Movie” being delivered to your home set-top media device, if you can’t choose to watch how they produced the new spectacular sword-fighting scene you heard about?

Right now podcasting is the first step in the direction of internet television, it has opened the door for subscription based technology to thrive on the internet. And that is the birth of internet cable television in its purest form. So as the podcast masses start to grow into the hundreds of thousands and millions of viewers per podcast show, the industry will start to add user options to its shows, and these options will be interactive in their nature.

For example, let’s say you are watching a popular video podcast like What I Want Fitness ( http://www.WhatIWantFitness.com ). This show features personal training advice from an instructor, and during the session you are watching, you see a particular exercise that you really liked, and would like to see more variations of. So what if you could take your mouse and click on the trainer’s bicep, and as you did that, the screen would open a list of bicep exercise shows that are available, as well as text on the bicep muscle structure. You could then instantly transition to a new bicep exercise, or maybe click on the text to learn a little more about the muscle you are training.

Now this is a very simple example, but very true to the power of interactive podcasting, and eventually interactive iTV. Podcast shows that start implementing these features will attract a huge viewer response ratio, where a show will then be able to alter its programming in direct relation to the data and feedback it is receiving from its viewers. This will only make programming better in the future. If 75% of the viewers are choosing to look at resistance related exercises, then the show will be able to get that data from web statistical information, and implement the changes to serve their audience better on the next show.

As this power is implemented by the major media conglomerates of the world, internet television will take off, and the merge of the television and the internet, will have occurred.

You see, until practical applicability of interactive programming is made prominent, internet television will not see its true potential. But once it does catch on, Interactive Podcasting will be seen as the birth of this revolution in media delivery.

Now, if we could just get the browsers to keep up and give us the support we need in the xhtml level.

Ryan M. Hoback, is Founder of Motivated Entrepreneur, Inc. and What I Want Podcasting, LLC.

Motivated Entrepreneur Inc. is a business incubation firm that helps entrepreneurs grow their business’s.

What I Want Podcasting specializes in developing podcasts for commercial application in society.

http://www.MotivatedEntrepreneur.com http://www.WhatIWantPodcasting.com